Michael San Soucie

In memory of Michael A. San Soucie, who died May 18, 2010, family and friends are invited to gather at Menemsha Harbor Beach for a celebration of life potluck picnic on Sunday, August 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Bishop Gayle Harris, suffragan bishop of the diocese of Massachusetts, will be the preacher and celebrant at Trinity Episcopal Church on August 19.

A native of Cleveland, Bishop Harris was ordained to the priesthood in 1982 in the diocese of Newark. Prior to her consecration, she served most recently as rector of St. Luke and St. Simon Cyrene Church in Rochester, N.Y., where she was also an adjunct professor at Colgate Rochester Divinity School.

Well, the weather bureau reports that July was hottest month on record in the contiguous U.S. since record keeping began in 1895 and you won’t find any argument here. Last Friday a tornado watch was listed for this area. I don’t recall that ever happening before. We had some torrential downpours over the weekend, all much needed for the gardens.

Hacked again! Who would ever say anything bad about my colleague Holly Nadler? It was lovely to have my first phone call this morning be from Holly, but awful to hear that I have been saying terrible things about her on Facebook, even to the point of posting a video about the errors of her ways.

RICK HERRICK

508-693-8065

(herricklr@verizon.net)

The Vineyard said goodbye to the Reverend Jim Kidd on Tuesday August 7. A service of remembrance was held at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury with the Reverend Cathlin Baker presiding. Jim died on May 19 after a short illness.

You won’t have to fight for your life with a bow and arrow, but you can still participate in the Hunger Games. The West Tisbury Library hosts a DVD Release Party and Hunger Game-athon on Monday, August 20, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be games, treats, prizes and free popcorn.

For more information, call 508-693-3366.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Oak Bluffs has 33 named parks, four Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank properties (Tradewind, Pecoy Point, Southern Woodlands, Farm Pond), three small islands (Woodie in Farm Pond, Brush and Great in Sengekontacket), one Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation property (Dodger’s Hole), one golf course (Farm Neck) and a tremendous set of wooded trails between County and Barnes Roads, or 43 pristine, protected parks encompassing perhaps 20 per cent of the town’s land. The math computes to about 581 people per park when you include our summer guests.

Dean’s List

Alexia Schroeder of West Tisbury, Jess Swaringen of Oak Bluffs and James Todd of Oak Bluffs have been named to the dean’s list at Villanova University for the spring 2012 semester.

Al Nugent of Edgartown was one of four member of the Hobart College Sailing team who received a commendation at the college’s annual Block H Awards dinner. Mr. Nugent received the Most Improved Sailor Award.

This Sunday, August 19, Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs will have Charles G. Adams of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit, Mich., come and preach. Until just past July, he was the William and Lucille Nickerson Professor of Ethics and Ministry at Harvard Divinity School.